Lebo Keswa, the ex-wife of actress and singer Letoya Makhene, recently accused her of not being a fully-fledged sangoma. Lebo said Letoya had not completed her initiation, which she started 20 years ago and is supposed to qualify her to train initiates. Two initiates have since come forward, claiming that they did not complete their training with Letoya and that they feel cheated.

TRAPPED

The two young sangomas in their 20s who do not wish to be named due to fear of intimidation say they went to thwasa with Letoya but never completed the training to become a sangomas or even a gobela (trainer). "She charges R50,000 to train initiates. This excluded the things we needed to buy while living with her herbs, medicine, and animals for some rituals,' the initiate says. "We paid a deposit of R20 000, and we started with the process, but we could not complete the initiation.' This is due to Letoya and her ex-wife, Lebo, separating. "Letoya had to move out of the home where we were all living and training when the marriage ended. The couple separated following reports of alleged abuse, cheating, and violence in the relationship.'

SPIRITS AND THINGS

The young sangoma-in-the-making says the spirits of their ancestors are left at Lebo's house, and Letoya is the one who needs to release them in order for them to be able to find another gobela trainer. "Our ancestor's spirits are still stuck in Mohlakeng, where we went to thwasa, and we need her to release them so we can get training elsewhere and finish at thwasa.'

FAKE

Letoya's ex-wife, Lebo, says she is not a sangoma and can't help in any way. "I come from a Christian home. Everything I did for Letoya was out of love, I learned the sangoma things because I loved her. I don't know how to remove anyone's ancestors from my house. Letoya is the one who needs to do that,' she says. "I don't know how it works, and I don't really want to be too involved at this stage, but she needs to do the right thing." Lebo claims that Letoya has been diagnosed as an alcoholic by medical practitioners, but she refuses to accept it. "The entire sangoma thing is a lie. Letoya's gobela that initiated her died before she completed anything, and she went to Gogo Mulle in Kwa-Thema to try and complete her ntwaso, but she never did. So, how can she be a gobela if she has not completed her training?' Letoya said she no longer wishes to speak about her failed marriage and wants to focus on her music.